Press Kit
My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories
Book Synopsis:
My Life In Paragraphs is for the “reluctant storyteller,” the person who doubts anybody cares to know the details of their lives, worries their personal stories don’t deserve to take up time, and yet, has gained invaluable insights whenever they’ve taken a moment to reflect.
This Book Can Help You:
- Communicate what you’ve held dear over the years—your most cherished values
- See what losses and gains shaped your life in meaningful ways
- Gain the skills and confidence to effectively share the stories you unearth
- Positively impact the lives of loved ones and strangers alike
What’s in This Book?
My Life In Paragraphs is centered on fifty-two thought-provoking story prompts. They’re arranged into four themes.
- Earth: Grounding and Values
- Air: Hopes and Dreams
- Fire: Passions and Motivations
- Water: Emotions
April guides you by the hand through these questions, and her one-paragraph-at-a-time method of storytelling that gathers momentum with each gentle step, no writing skills required.
For inspiration, you can read essays about the journey of others who overcame reluctance, dug into their stories, and found clarity they didn’t even know was missing.
The process will guide you to “your story.” You’ll arrive there with more ease than you ever imagined, and be amazed by its richness.
The second half of the book includes tips for crafting and sharing your story—so whether you “publish” in a conversation with a loved one, a handwritten note, or an iPhone app for capturing and sharing videos, you’ll know exactly what to do.
Book Details:
Title: My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories
ISBN: 979-8-9886276-0-9 (paperback)
Publisher: Tree of Life Productions
Published: August 3, 2023
Language: English
Pages: 202 (paperback)
Weight: 10.4 ounces (paperback)
Dimensions: 5.25 x 0.51 x 8 inches
Available in: Paperback, Hardcover, and Kindle
For Purchase: Amazon (paperback, hardback, kindle)
“What a gift this beautiful book will be to the people lucky enough to read and act on it.”
–Bernadette Jiwa, bestselling author of Story Driven
“What April crafted guides you deeper and deeper and deeper into the story until you’re face to face with the actual values you hold most dear. And that’s the moment when you realize, ‘Oh, I see why this works.’”
—Dan Senter, spiritual leader
“I bought this book for myself but enjoyed it so much ended up giving my copy to my dad for his birthday. What a great gift for a loved one. In my dad’s case, I suggested he use the audio notes function on his phone to record his answers to the prompts and then we can transcribe later into a little book! I found the book overall very inspirational and loved the opening chapters where the author shares about how reluctant story tellers can engage with the process… and learn to love it! Well done!.”
—Sandra Harris, author of Say Goodbye to Plastic: A Survival Guide to Plastic-Free Living
“I read a lot of storytelling books. And I am happy that I picked this book up. First of all, it’s beautifully written and was very practical in giving me the how-to, and very easy-to-digest prompts to help unearth my stories. Not only was I informed, I am inspired. Loved it! ❤️”
—Enrika Greathouse, creative entrepreneur; founder of Small Gorilla Marketing
“A perfect book for a lot of different situations: Whether you’re a memoirist, journaler, a fiction writer or someone wanting to explore and make sense of your own life, this book will help. April’s introductory stories are engaging, compelling and heart warming. They reveal her expertise and her open hearted humanity. (We all would enjoy being interviewed by her.) The questions she offers are rich [story] prompts. The book is beautiful as an object. Money well spent. A great gift for a loved one or yourself.”
—Michelle Spencer, writer/storyteller
“As a scientist, I’ve spent my life seeing stories in data; April’s process has taught me to recognize the power in each individual human story. The prompts look deceptively simple, but are truly thought-provoking. April’s “My Life in Paragraphs” framework is comprehensive, leaving you feeling like you’ve done a deep dive into the meaning and impact of your life and story.”
—Dr. Ann Blake, environmental scientist, changemaker, memoirist
“As a creative director, I learned early on that brands that allow their audiences to feel safe, heard, intelligent and worthy are the ones people love most. April’s approach does all of this and her book is a great starting point for people to tell their stories with pride and grace.”
—Jon Soto, creative director
“You know how sometimes what happens in your life, you never really look at what you learned from it? The questions prompted me to really see what I learned, what my values were, and how I grew.”
—Carolyn Goto, workshop participant
“Wow! What a beautiful and practically useful book. It is written in such a clear and accessible way, I can imagine using the prompts and process and came away with motivation to explore my personal stories and those of others too.”
—Laurie Senter, educator
“Hearing story examples of what’s been important to other people helped me go further in my own thinking about what I want to pass on.”
—Steve Alparone, workshop participant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
April Bell
hello@aprilbell.com
(925) 465-1118
Your Story Matters More Than You Know
Your wisdom lives inside your stories. Delight in discovering them: the fifty-two prompts in this thoughtful book will shine a light and show the way.
“What a gift this beautiful book will be to the people lucky enough to read and act on it.”—Bernadette Jiwa, bestselling author of Story Driven
My Life In Paragraphs is for the “reluctant storyteller,” the person who doubts anybody cares to know the details of their lives, worries their personal stories don’t deserve to take up time, and yet, has gained invaluable insights whenever they’ve taken a moment to reflect.
This Book Can Help You:
- Communicate what you’ve held dear over the years—your most cherished values
- See what losses and gains shaped your life in meaningful ways
- Gain the skills and confidence to effectively share the stories you unearth
- Positively impact the lives of loved ones and strangers alike
Why Tell Stories?
Because telling each other stories reveals what made us who we are. It allows us to witness one another; we learn who we’ve shown up for and who showed up for us.
Our stories create meaning, connection, direction, and a sense of awe and gratitude. Stories matter.
This is the discovery author April Bell, a former reluctant storyteller, made when she took the questions she poses to her legacy video clients—and turned them on herself.
What’s in This Book?
My Life In Paragraphs is centered on fifty-two thought-provoking story prompts. They’re arranged into four themes
Earth: Grounding and Values
Air: Hopes and Dreams
Fire: Passions and Motivations
Water: Emotions
April guides you by the hand through these questions, and her one-paragraph-at-a-time method of storytelling that gathers momentum with each gentle step, no writing skills required.
For inspiration, you can read essays about the journey of others who overcame reluctance, dug into their stories, and found clarity they didn’t even know was missing.
The process will guide you to “your story.” You’ll arrive there with more ease than you ever imagined, and be amazed by its richness.
The second half of the book includes tips for crafting and sharing your story—so whether you “publish” in a conversation with a loved one, a handwritten note, or an iPhone app for capturing and sharing videos, you’ll know exactly what to do.
Why Give the My Life In Paragraphs Process a Try:
“As a scientist, I’ve spent my life seeing stories in data; this process has taught me to recognize the power in each individual human story.”—Dr. Ann Blake, environmental scientist and change-maker, memoirist
“What April crafted guides you deeper and deeper into the story until you’re face to face with the actual values that you hold most dear. And that’s the moment when you realize, ‘Oh, I see why this works.’”—Dan Senter, spiritual leader
“As a creative director, I learned early on that brands that allow their audiences to feel safe, heard, intelligent and worthy are the ones people love most. April’s approach does all of this and her book is a great starting point for people to tell their stories with pride and grace.”—Jon Soto, creative director
“Wow! What a beautiful and practically useful book. It is written in such a clear and accessible way, I can imagine using the prompts and process and came away with motivation to explore my personal stories and those of others too.”—Laurie Senter, educator
Open this book and enjoy the fun, discovery, and magic that transpire when you let go of being a “reluctant storyteller” and bring your stories to life, one paragraph at a time.
Available on Amazon.com
About the Author:
April Bell is the founder at Tree of Life Legacies, a storytelling and wisdom-keeping project based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2008 she’s been helping people find and tell the origin stories behind their values, often on video.
As a child, April spent her days listening to stories from which ever elder-neighbor would have her. More recently, she’s crafted her story-mining process into book form with My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories. As her storytelling focus leans toward the spoken word, people daunted by writing love her approach. She is co-creator of StoryCatcher® for iPhone. She leads storytelling workshops live and virtually.
What’s your story?
###
Interview Prompts for Journalists and Podcast Hosts:
The questions aim to uncover insights into the deep impact our personal narratives can have. They also explore the challenges and gifts inherent in authentic storytelling. Lastly, they break down practical strategies for individuals and organizations to harness the power of their unique story.
Connecting with Readers and Audience
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How do you think people will connect with telling their stories one paragraph at a time, and what impact do you hope your book will have?
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What’s the key to engaging listeners when sharing personal stories, whether one-on-one, in groups, or on video?
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How did you overcome your own fears of sharing your authentic stories?
- How do you initiate conversations that lead to genuine connection?
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How can sharing personal stories deepen connections between individuals; communities?
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How is personal storytelling used to cultivate empathy?
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How does embracing vulnerability in personal storytelling foster more meaningful connections?
Embracing Authenticity and Vulnerability
- Your book encourages readers to find and tell their authentic stories. Embracing authenticity can sometimes be challenging. What were some challenges you’ve faced, and how did you overcome them?
- What’s the importance of authenticity in personal storytelling?
- Sharing personal stories can be a vulnerable experience. How do you navigate the emotions that come with sharing personal stories?
- How has the process of exploring your own life in paragraphs impacted you?
- When sharing personal stories, there’s a fine line between being open and maintaining privacy. How do you find the balance between transparency and honoring personal boundaries?
- People come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. How does pesonal storytelling narrow the gap?
Storytelling Techniques and Applications
- What are some specific techniques to help people find and tell their stories?
- What creative challenges come up while working on a personal story? How do you overcome them?
- For people inspired by your book, what advice would you give them as they embark on their own storytelling journey?
- Where does personal storytelling fit in at work? What benefits can it bring to professionals?
- How can professionals use personal storytelling when talking to their teams or customers?
- How can personal storytelling be leveraged to promote diversity and inclusion within organizations?
Questions on StoryCatcher for iPhone
- What inspired you to create StoryCatcher for iPhone? Was there a specific need or gap in the market that you wanted to address?
- How does StoryCatcher fit into the broader landscape of your ‘My Life in Paragraphs’ framework?
- In what way does StoryCatcher for iPhone benefit storytellers?
- Data collection is a big concern for many users. How does StoryCatcher approach user privacy?
- How do StoryCatcher’s key features set it apart from other similar apps in the market?
- Are there any upcoming features or updates users can look forward to?
– StoryCatcher® In The News –
Author Bio:
April Bell is the founder at Tree of Life Legacies, a storytelling and wisdom-keeping project based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2008 she’s been helping people find and tell their stories, often on video.
As a child, she spent her days listening to stories from which ever elder-neighbor would have her. More recently, she’s crafted her story-mining process into book form with My Life in Paragraphs: Find and Tell Your Stories. As her storytelling focus lends toward the spoken word, people daunted by writing love her approach. She leads her story-mining workshops in-person, virtually, or as a hybrid. She is co-creator of StoryCatcher® for iPhone.
What’s your story?
Contact Information:
Email: hello@aprilbell.com
Phone: (925) 465-1118
Media Downloads & Links:
My Life in Paragraphs ~ Book
cover art
Companion Notebook
cover art
Companion Notebook
cover art
click image to download RBG photo – click here for CMYK
Links
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